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The fibula is one of the earliest known forms of pin used as a fastening for clothing. A frequently ornamented clasp or brooch
used by the ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, Etruscans and Romans, it usually consists of a piece of bowed metal with a pin connected
to one end with a hinge. The pin is pushed through the clothing to hold it together and is secured into the other end of the
bow behind a catch plate. A fibula is sometimes referred to as a 'safety-pin brooch'. Fibulas were most popular in ancient
Rome as a shoulder pin for the toga.
The word fibula is derived from the Latin word figo, meaning to fasten,
and in Latin designates a buckle, brooch or clasp. It was not until the sixteenth century that the physician Andreas Vesalius
used the word as an anatomical term, referring to the long bone of the leg. Since then, this usage has become the best-known,
and most people nowadays think of the fibula as a body part rather than as a piece of jewelry.
 Fibulas look great as accent pins for a wooly hat, muffler or coat, or a delicate scarf can be drawn through the opening while
the fibula is pinned to a dress or jacket underneath. You don't have to have a toga to wear one!
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